POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20150303700A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 10,312,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/025 using non-contact coupling, e.g. inductive, capacitive

Abstract

An power supply apparatus includes a first power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power based on a first power supply method, a second power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power based on a second power supply method different from the first power supply method, a communication unit configured to communicate with an electronic device, a selection unit configured to select one of the first and second power supply units based on a communication with the electronic device, and a control unit configured to perform a process to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device using the selected power supply unit, wherein the control unit controls the selection unit to select one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit depending on a state of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a first power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power based on a first power supply method;

a second power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power based on a second power supply method different from the first power supply method;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an electronic device;

a selection unit configured to select one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit based on a communication with the electronic device; and

a control unit configured to perform a process to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device using the power supply unit selected by the selection unit;

wherein the control unit controls the selection unit so as to select, based on a state of the electronic device, one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit according to a command from the electronic device.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a command to request the first power supply method is issued by the electronic device, the selection unit selects the first power supply unit.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a command to request the second power supply method is issued by the electronic device, the selection unit selects the second power supply unit.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit according to power requested by the electronic device.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the power requested by the electronic device is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the selection unit selects the second power supply unit.

7. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit makes a comparison between a first power supply capacity of the first power supply unit and a second power supply capacity of the second power supply unit and selects one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit according to a result of the comparison.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in a case where the second power supply capacity is equal to or greater than the first power supply capacity, the selection unit selects the second power supply unit.

9. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit makes a comparison between a first received power received by the electronic device from the first power supply unit and a second received power received by the electronic device from the second power supply unit, and the selection unit selects one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit according to a result of the comparison.

10. The power supply apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in a case where the second received power is equal to or greater than the first received power, the selection unit selects the second power supply unit.

11. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects either one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit according to whether a command to perform a particular process is input to the power supply apparatus.

12. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a command to perform a particular process is input to the power supply apparatus, the selection unit selects the second power supply unit.

13. The power supply apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the particular process includes a process different from a process of performing a communication to control a wireless power supply.

14. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where an increase occurs in the power requested by the electronic device, the control unit controls the selection unit to again select one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit.

15. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a reduction occurs in the power received by the electronic device from the power supply apparatus, the control unit controls the selection unit to again select one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit.

16. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit communicates with the electronic device based on a near field communication (NFC) standard.

17. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power using a first frequency, and the second power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power using a second frequency different from the first frequency.

18. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power using magnetic resonance, and the second power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power using electromagnetic induction.

19. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power according to a near field communication (NFC) standard, and the second power supply method is a method of wirelessly supplying power according to a Qi standard.

20. A control method comprising:

wirelessly supplying power based on a first power supply method;

wirelessly supplying power based on a second power supply method different from the first power supply method;

communicating with an electronic device;

selecting one of the first power supply method and the second power supply method based on a communication with the electronic device;

performing a process to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device using the selected power supply method; and

selecting again, based on a state of the electronic device, one of the first power supply method and the second power supply method.

21. (canceled)

22. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program configured to control a computer to execute a process comprising:

wirelessly supplying power based on a first power supply method;

wirelessly supplying power based on a second power supply method different from the first power supply method;

communicating with an electronic device;

selecting one of the first power supply method and the second power supply method based on a communication with the electronic device;

performing a process to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device using the selected power supply method; and

selecting again, based on a state of the electronic device, one of the first power supply method and the second power supply method.